{"id":6947,"date":"2025-04-01T10:02:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T10:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=6947"},"modified":"2025-04-01T10:02:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T10:02:28","slug":"live-sonar-for-saltwater-fishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=6947","title":{"rendered":"Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Garmin GLS10\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-1.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Garmin has the \u00adlongest history in live-sonar \u00addevelopment and has earned a reputation for \u00adprevailing as the top device.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Garmin<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydra-affiliate-buy-button\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rkqcmges988rxk74yatge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <button class=\"hydra-buy-button\" role=\"button\">BUY NOW<\/button><br \/>\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Be it <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rkqcmges988rxk74yatge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Garmin LiveScope<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rngm0fmfcjc9maeta84jt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Lowrance Active Target 2<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rpkmjwvs3rzmrdd2mpfq0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Humminbird Mega Live 2<\/a>, live sonar seems to have popped up on bass boats overnight, but saltwater anglers have not adopted it in similar numbers\u2014at least not yet.<\/p>\n<p>Live sonar\u2014perhaps more \u00adpopularly known as forward-\u00adfacing sonar, or FFS\u2014shows you what is in the sonar cone in real time, has a near \u00ad180-degree \u00adcoverage, and everything in that arc is instantly painted. Movements of fish are displayed as they occur, much like medical ultrasound imaging.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In shallower water, landscape images offer \u00adoutstanding \u00adsituational awareness of all the water in and beyond \u00adcasting range. Forward-fishing \u00adorientation of the transducer is often used in deeper water, and downward-\u00adfacing sonar is most effective in bottomfishing.<\/p>\n<p>Rich Kale is about as hardcore an angler as can be. Based in \u00adPunta Gorda, Florida, he fishes the waters of Charlotte Harbor, Peace River and the Myakka River almost every day. If Kale is spied on the water, anglers get as close to him as they dare. He\u2019s an influential angler and is likely responsible for leading many tarpon fishermen away from \u00adcasting ladyfish and crabs in favor of DOA Bait Busters. He installed <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rngm0fmfcjc9maeta84jt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Lowrance\u2019s Active Target<\/a> sonar last year and found it so \u00adincredibly effective, his salty friends \u00adbegan installing live sonar as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/using-live-sonar-to-catch-more-fish\/\">Using Live Sonar to Catch More Fish<\/a><\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-1024x393.jpg?resize=800%2C307&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Lowrance transducer for Live Sonar\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-1024x393.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-300x115.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-768x294.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-1536x589.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-6-2048x785.jpg 2048w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Live Sonar transducers can be mounted on some trolling motors for convenience, but the view is \u00adlimited to motor directions.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Lowrance<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydra-affiliate-buy-button\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rngm0fmfcjc9maeta84jt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <button class=\"hydra-buy-button\" role=\"button\">BUY NOW<\/button><br \/>\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Kale counts his tarpon bites and hookups, not his landings. He reports that his bites went up tenfold after he started using Active Target. While the Boca Grande Pass is most famous for its dense tarpon schools and even denser angling fleet, Kale eschews the crowds, using his sonar in the wide-open areas of the harbor and up in the Peace River.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn open water, I don\u2019t cast \u00aduntil I pick them up on \u00adsonar,\u201d he says. \u201cI can count the \u00adnumber of fish in pods, see which way they are\u00a0moving and how deep\u00a0they\u00a0are. It\u2019s easy to put a bait in front of them, and I can see if the fish are interested in it or not. People think it can\u2019t work well in salt water due to the water density, but after using it, if \u00adsomebody told me I couldn\u2019t have it anymore, I\u2019d take up bowling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The density of salt water does reduce the range of FFS by up to 40 percent. Live sonar uses a very high frequency and ping rate to give the instant picture on the screen. The higher the sonar frequency, the more detailed the image, but the saltwater density reduces signal clarity by resisting high-frequency returns.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not a problem in fresh water, and FFS is such an \u00adeffective tool for bass fishermen that none are competitive without it. It has changed the pace of bass \u00adtournament fishing. Anglers don\u2019t waste a cast on waters that aren\u2019t showing fish on FFS. For nationally televised tournaments, the use of live sonar has taken away much of the visual appeal of \u00adfishing. The anglers just stare at their \u00adsonar \u00addisplays until they see a fish. Tournament directors have begun to limit the use of FFS, in part because it\u2019s boring to watch.<\/p>\n<p>Another drawback for \u00adsaltwater anglers is the awkward mounting of the transducer, according to Garmin\u2019s David Dunn. <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rkqcmges988rxk74yatge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LiveScope XR<\/a> is Garmin\u2019s most powerful FFS.<\/p>\n<p>Live sonar has to be mounted on a trolling-motor shaft or a stalk attached to the gunwale, and it is difficult to deploy and retract, especially in rough seas. Garmin doesn\u2019t offer mounting stalks and directs its customers to OEM makers\u2014and there are several of\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor fresh water, we make our trolling motors capable of having a transducer mounted on the motor shaft, but then the direction of the motor determines what you can see,\u201d Dunn says.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew Laster, integrated \u00adsystems director, fishing systems for Navico and Lowrance, agrees on the convenience factor but has another spin on slow adoption rates. \u201cFreshwater bass anglers are highly publicized and televised. Saltwater fishing doesn\u2019t have near as much visibility to spread the word.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Humminbird Mega Live\u00a02\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-ELC-Sonar-2.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Humminbird just introduced Mega Live\u00a02 with the same powerful transducer but enhanced clarity, whether adjusting manually or set to automatic.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Humminbird<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"hydra-affiliate-buy-button\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rpkmjwvs3rzmrdd2mpfq0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <button class=\"hydra-buy-button\" role=\"button\">BUY NOW<\/button><br \/>\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Ed Zyack is a Florida charter captain and has been fishing the waters for decades, and doing so as a Humminbird promoter. \u201cMega Live is a great tool,\u201d he says. \u201cI had several charter guys on the west coast [of Florida] using it, and it was so effective that they wouldn\u2019t talk about it.\u201d It was the antithesis of great sponsorship marketing\u2026until the closely guarded secret got out and spread like wildfire in August.<\/p>\n<p>Hummingbird recently introduced <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp5rpkmjwvs3rzmrdd2mpfq0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Mega Live 2<\/a>\u2014an \u00adupgraded version with more image clarity in both auto and manual adjustable modes. \u201cIt is an enormous improvement in saltwater \u00adcapability,\u201d Zyack says. \u201cYou can just turn it on, and it takes very little adjustment to optimize the \u00adimage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One thing all our experts agreed on is that saltwater anglers are among the fiercest \u00adproponents of angling tradition and are \u00adhighly suspicious of new techniques. But live sonar is changing their minds.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/live-sonar-for-saltwater-fishing\/\">Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Randy Vance<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/live-sonar-for-saltwater-fishing\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Live Sonar for Saltwater Fishing Garmin has the \u00adlongest history in live-sonar \u00addevelopment and has earned a reputation for \u00adprevailing as the top device. Courtesy Garmin BUY NOW Be it Garmin LiveScope, Lowrance Active Target 2 or Humminbird Mega Live 2, live sonar seems to have popped up on bass boats overnight, but saltwater anglers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[176,2872,126,1758,404,351,3494],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-6947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-affiliate","category-april-2025","category-boatingmag","category-electronics","category-gear","category-nextmarine","category-sonar","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6947"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6947\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}